Hungarian Parliament Accused of Burying Debate on Domestic Violence

Women’s rights group have accused Hungary’s parliament of trying to skirt genuine debate on the issue of domestic violence by scheduling discussions on the topic for the middle of the night.

Lawmakers will hold discussion of domestic violence on Tuesday, but not until 2 a.m. CET. The focus of the discussions will be a citizen-led proposal aimed at creating a specific law to criminalize domestic violence. Most lawmakers say the current laws are adequate.

Hungary’s parliament has often used late-night sessions to debate controversial issues such as taxes on telecommunication services, changes to media law, judges’ retirement and some constitutional issues.

Women’s groups in the country say it’s a sign that lawmakers want to avoid visible debate on the issue. When minority green party LMP proposed holding discussions during the day, House Speaker Laszlo Kover said that the issue wasn’t weighty enough to warrant more attention.